I've found a deep and real love for sewing and quilting! The only thing that I enjoy more is connecting with all of you about it!
I have become totally obsessed with our baby tortoises- so ridiculously cute!
I am a mom of 2 boys and wife to a great guy!
With my full time job, family and my love of crafting, I am pretty busy most of the time! Add Rheumatoid Arthritis, unfortunately, and you have Me! I try not to let it get me down, though I Do walk much like our tortoises, at times! haha

I went ahead and put a link to each day above - so worth the time to look -They really are quite awesome!I can't wait to give them all a try!

Thank you so much for the awesome giveaway Benartex! These colors are TO. DIE. For!!I can't believe my luck lately! I have a couple of "happy mailings" on their way and I just CAN'T wait to get into them!! ....How are YOU at waiting?! I really love Instant Gratification.. I'm not the...best at waiting.. lolI hope this luck that I am having holds up - Who could hate winning such awesome prizes!?

Monday, November 28, 2016

Hello! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and had a chance to not only relax but also dive into something that you love!

I had been eyeballing these adorable fabrics and finally decided to throw caution to the wind and buy them! I just love elephants, giraffes and tortoises (whales too, funny mix, right!?), they are soo cute in these prints! I'm thinking a baby quilt is a great project to dive in to!

I began to think about WHAT to do with them.. I wondered and wondered.. Then, I just cut them into 7.5" (7" finished) squares because honestly, I can think on these things for months and STILL not be sure what I want to do!

I like the idea of those big chunky blocks and thought these prints would look great just that way!

So, over my long weekend (of course, I didn't get half as much done as I wanted to, big shock, right!) I was able to get all of my rows stitched. Now all I have to do on this cute little project is align the corners (uh-oh) and sew my rows together!

Here are my finished rows- these pictures don't show the panels that I am adding to the 2nd row from top and bottom; that is what the multi-colored animal print is for =D.

It will make a lot more sense once it is altogether, right now it looks a bit jumbled.

Now, I am thinking about how I want to quilt it on my home machine.

This will be so much fun to quilt. It doesn't have a home destination in mind yet, so I can play around with it some and see what I like!

I decided to make my boys' wallets for Christmas, so I have a total of 1 whole weekend to get those done, haha!

I think we know what will be on (and hopefully off) my plate THIS weekend..

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

I was so excited last night when I got an email saying that I was one of the random winners of the Trunk Show!

The prizes are awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on them and try them out!I wanted to send a special Thank You to Soma at Whims and Fancies for being such a wonderful host and to the sponsors that offered all of the excellent prizes!It's like a double thanks to Soma, since part of my prize is picking out 2 of her awesome patterns! I love them all but it didn't take very long for me to realize which ones I like best! Her Pinwheel Star and Starlite Converging are just too beautiful to pass up! They are now both on my list of things to create - soon, list!I'm so ecstatic to be among the winners - congratulations to the other winners, as well!Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I sincerely hope you have a very Blessed and filling weekend!!

Monday, November 21, 2016

Hi!I had a weekend full of sewing!! ...and chores.. =(Which means I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped to! But when do I ever.. ;)BUT I did get those kitty curtains finished! Yay!I had a hard time getting decent pictures of them since I don't have any rods up in my son's bedroom, yet.. These are a Christmas gift for him. :)To see better pictures My Last Post is Here!This finishes up my November *One Monthly Goal (OMG)*!

I still have a few pesky strings to trim off of this panel but I am super happy with these curtains! I planned to add some fun shapes to random spots in the black area (because I was worried they would look kind of plain and blah) but once I had the main components in place, I thought they looked really good without complicating them and making them too busy.He is 8 and I don't want them to look babyish to him. ;)While the "Kitties in yarn" fabric is *maybe a little childish, I really feel like the life like kitties in the blocks make up for it in spades!

They are still a bit wrinkled. I mean, you can iron them, but yikes, good luck. haha - I decided to iron the spots that I needed after trying (for an hour) to iron every panel. He won't even notice the wrinkles. lol ;)

After painstakingly lining up the panels on the floor and trying sooo hard to get the squares all lined up to match, I realized that Everything that I do is crooked, I know this and accept it, so instead of having them come out slightly skewed on accident and look weird, I made them to go from lower to higher (on each right panel) and higher to lower (on each left panel), if that makes any sense at all..I haven't even gotten to see them all together yet to judge if they look crazy or not. I'm really counting on my son's love for me and anything that I create for him to shine through, regardless of how they turned out.. HAHA!I promise to post a better picture of the overall effect once they are hung in his bedroom! I can't wait to see them and his face- in all their glory!I am also linking up with Free-Motion by the River! & Crafty Design-O-Rama and Can I get A Whoop Whoop!Have a Scraptabulous Week, Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

Friday, November 18, 2016

As we approach the New Year at an amazingly quick pace, I find myself thinking ahead.. Which is a great..(and a terrible..) thing. lolI have never made a New Years' resolution before and in the last few days I have had a thought.. I really want to make quilts for my boys.AND I don't want them to be done as I send them off to college in 6 to 10 years.. (my boys are 8 and 12 now ;)SO- I am going to make a ReSEWlution for the new year, instead!It's HARD to give up things just because it's a different day, you know.. So instead of GIVING UP, I am Giving IN- to my addiction, that is! ha!I have participated in several link ups- like one of my FAVS The OMG Linky (that recently relocated) with Elm Street Quilts. After little thought I decided to create a *To-Do 2017*..In a couple of months, I will start my preparation and planning for my boys quilts! My reSEWlution is that they will be FINISHED by 2018!That should give me tons of time to get them done and maybe even have some other projects in there, too!Creating a quilt for my 8 year old shouldn't be too difficult. Thank goodness! He is a lively kid that likes all sorts of colors and silly stuff! He has no problem with pink and likes purple, too!So I will probably go with brights on his. I just love brights. You can probably tell if you've seen my past posts ;)My 12 year old, on the other hand, is much more difficult.He is in a phase of kind of wanting to blend in. He prefers straight color without design. (Yes, I am positive that he is mine;) lol!I was thinking all blues for him. But black and greys would look pretty awesome, as well.They won't be able to be a secret, (that takes too much effort!!) maybe I can get a little input from them on their respective quilts.. hmm..I don't know if you have ever tried that..?I have with a few things and I'll tell you what.. They come out with the funniest (and sometimes coolest) fabric ideas. Then I am stuck searching and searching and settling on something as close as possible.I swear, I think of things that I want and after a strenuous search, can't find.I can't be the ONLY one to think of *those things*.. Oh well.. ANYWAYS, I've got my 2017 all planned out, already! There's a first for everything! =DDo you have YOUR 2017 planned!?I am linking up with Quilting Jet Girl!Wish me luck! HAHave a GREAT weekend and God Bless!!

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Happy Almost weekend, all!It's been a few since I have posted, sorry!That's mostly because those Kitty Curtains that I am working on had to be put away while the kiddos were home. :( I have been itching like crazy to get at them!

I will back back in full swing on those very soon though =DToday, I thought I would step outside of my bubble and post a recipe. With Thanksgiving being right around the corner, it seemed like perferct timing! First I have to say - I don't often bake (and by often- I mean NEVER)...Anything.. Unless it is chicken for dinner.. hahaHowever, about 5 years ago I was looking for something really special to take to Christmas. While pursuing my Betty Crocker Cookbook, I ran across their New York Style CheeseCake.

Of course, mine doesn't look quite the same as their picture perfect slice, but it *might just taste better than theirs! =D

I had several moments of doubt - how can I make something as grand as a cheesecake when I don't even make cookies.. The next thought that I had pretty much chased away my wonders, though.How COOL would it be to surprise everyone with my culinary skills (haha) and have the best dessert on the table.. (not that everything isn't Great, you know!?)I also had a 3 and 6 year old running around, so I was going to have to be up late cooking while they were in bed. Not an exciting prospect for someone who doesn't particularly like to cook.. (and by that I mean, not at all.. HAHA)I had all of the necessary ingredients, except that I never put in the orange peel (until last year) and I don't like nuts so that meant no almonds.To this day -I don't use anything on top of it, I just let the beautiful golden deliciousness shine. You know what, no one notices that anything is off at all! All I ever hear is how wonderful it is (That's never hard to hear, right!?)It was by far the best thing that I have ever contributed to a gathering. I felt pretty darn good for putting in so much effort and having everyone love it, too! In the past 3 years "my" cheesecake has been requested at my in-laws holiday party. THAT is definitely a cool feeling! On the sad side, my hubby doesn't like cheesecake. :(However, it's his dads favorite, and I think we all know that I HAVE to make it for my favorite father-in-law! I have been trying for a couple years to make something hubby would like as well as the cheesecake, but he hates to make me work harder just for him. This year, I am going to figure out something! Do you have any ideas?! He mentioned maybe a cobbler.. Something else I have never cooked, that could be fun! Imagine my feeling of accomplishment when my husband gets to enjoy something that I made, too, just for him. <3I haven't eaten dairy now for couple of years (ok, I cheat and have sour cream on tacos, how could I NOT!?) so I haven't been able to enjoy my cheesecake in quite some time but it is totally worth it and I hope it is requested for years to come!If you are looking for something AWEsome to take to a holiday gathering you should totally try it. It isn't as hard as it sounds! Even on my very first attempt it was great, that is impressive!! If *I* can do it, so can YOU!! If you do, I would LOVE to hear about it! Do you already have a dish that you LOVE to serve to loved ones for holidays!?Have a fantastic weekend and God Bless!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Yes, you seen that correctly!I was super excited when I came across Whims and Fancies Post- Trunk Full of Quilts!So excited -in fact- that I jumped on it so quickly, I didn't even read all of her great instructions on how it should work.. oops.. Sorry about that ;)There I am, jumping in, again! No wonder my seam ripper is my best friend! lolSO.. To do this correctly I am posting to share my Finishes and link up!There are more details and pictures in the original posts that I have linked above each picture -as their title. :)Baby Crochet Gift Basket

I had so much fun making these gifts.. I'd never made a round blanket before and I just loved the idea! Once I seen that dragon- I was toast, for real.. He is the cutest thing ever and I will have to make one to keep at home next.. Once my finger joints recover from those months of crochet! haha

This rug is something I made right after that baby gift basket (which is why my fingers still hate me, lol).. It took me a lot of work over about 2 months and I am super proud of it! It still has a place of honor on our living room floor. Unfortunately, I can see a small amount of wear on it :*( so I don't know if it will last the years and years I had hoped for- but it will last for years at least. Still- Totally worth it! Dragons, Castles and Glow in the Dark Thread!

This Dragon and Castle wall hanging was the very first thing that I ever stitched! I made it when my boys' shared a bedroom (and now they don't, doh!).The glow in the dark thread is only visible if you look - real - close :( but at least you can see my hand stitching (I think it looks pretty darn good, too, even if I do say so myself)! I tried to define those dragons by doing pretty much every line on them (minus the eyes, I thought that might look creepy, haha). We love how it turned out!Anyhow! I am so glad that I was able to email and get myself straight on how to enter this awesome Trunk Full of Quilts show! I can't wait to see what everyone else has finished!Have a Wonderfully Blessed day!!

Yay!It's finally time to draw the winner for that fantastic Moda Jelly roll! I am a little sad to see it move off of my table.. It looked so pretty sitting there.. Just Begging me to unroll it! I refrained, but boy, it was tough! LOLI am so excited- you would think I won it! ha!Patricia- Miaismine, come on dowwwwnnn...you've JUST won my Giveaway!haha- I totally felt all Price-is-Right(y) there! lolI'm so glad that you've won Patricia, I will be emailing you!I would LOVE to see what you decide to use this beautiful Jelly roll for!Maybe I will even giveaway something extra if my past winners let me post what they've created on my blog!? I think that is a FANtastic idea! So it is now law..(hehe)If you send me what you have created from your prize, I will post it on my blog and send you something extra special!I Thank Everyone so much for making my giveaway so much fun! I got to learn so much about you all and can't wait until we can have another go 'round! At this point I am trying to sort out next years sponsors, so I am not entirely sure how that will go for the moment.

BUT!!!December IS just around the corner (and THAT is definitely THIS year)! =DHave a wonderful weekend and God Bless!!

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

I just wanted to remind you that my Giveaway ends today!I like doing the Winner Wednesday but this week it may have to be Winner Thursday (just doesn't have the same ring to it! lol).I will be a bit pressed for time Wednesday and I figure an extra day can't hurt, right!? So, I will draw the winner Thursday, which means you have allllll day Wednesday to enter. =DSo if you haven't already entered, you might want to do that or you'll be Soo Jelly!!

Monday, November 7, 2016

Hello!I hope everyone had a great weekend full of whatever it is you like best! Be it sleep, sewing or Halloween candy...lolAs usual, I was able to tackle some quality sewing over the weekend! THAT is what I like best! =DI just had to get to work on those Kitty Curtains!Having only about 3 weekends left to get them done, I really need to hustle!I was really happy with the progress that I made.I bought 4 black curtain panels for my son's bedroom.I didn't want the darkening panels so these are linen.I also bought about 3 yards of Heat n' Bond Lite, to make sure I had enough to stick all of my pieces in place. THAT stuff is the Bomb! It made this whole thing so much easier (AND possible)!There was a bit of an oops, as usual, haha..My kitty panel had enough for each curtain panel to have 4 pictures except for 1, DOH! So, I improvised! I found this super cute "Kitties in Yarn" fabric and am using that as a "filler"..There is a piece of trim at the top and bottom of each and I am going to add accents in the plainer areas, so they don't look so blah. lolI am having my concerns with these turning out the way I hoped.I didn't line everything up because I just KNOW how I am and that is something that I am just not capable of. haha.I MUCH rather place them wonk(ily) on purpose instead of having them look off on accident! lolIt's just SOO obvious! lol...On to those pictures!

As you can see, this is the panel that I didn't have enough cat squares for.. I wish I had thought to do each panel with a Hexi, but at least I have some to add for later! I am ironing as I go, It is just too hard to iron the whole panel! (I only have a small table-top ironing board, which makes everything more difficult)=( <- Dual sad face, totally fits. haha

I tried out several stitches and settled on this one. Those strings will need to be cleaned up, too. ;)

I really thought the back looked neat! you can see the stitch so perfectly. I chose to use variegated thread from light to dark blue. I am surprised that you can see it pretty well.. Makes me even happier that I chose a special stitch!

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Hello! I hope your week is going well and you are staying warm! Here in Michigan the weather can't make up it's mind.. It was 78 the other day (!!) and by Friday we will be at 55 as the high.. O boy, the snow is on it's way, I would say! :*( Today's post is to show my OMG (One Monthly Goal).Effective for November we link-up through Elm Street Quilts instead of linking with Heidi at Red Letter Quilts. We are so lucky that Patty was able to step in for Heidi, for the foreseeable future. Heidi, I hope you feel better real soon, I know this has been so difficult for you! I am so glad that you will be able to link up with us!Since my Quilt top is finally done (YAY!), I had to do some thinking to decide what to DO in November! I have a GREAT pattern that I have been dying to work on, but then I realized that I need to get to work on my little guys Kitty Curtains- If you remember this post from September, if I want to be sure they are done in time for Christmas. -I only have a few weekends that I can work on it until then, eek!So that means my November OMG is to make Cat curtains for my 8 year olds bedroom. He is going to Flip! Quite possibly literally Flip, haha!!I just LOVE the panels that I found and can't wait to get them stitched on!

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

And even I am Jelly! I do *not* do taupe or beige (they are the enemy..haha) and even brown is a stretch, lol! So grey is my Happy place and I am Dying, yes Dying, to get my hands on a bunch one of these bad boys! =DI've found that doing Giveaways and talking about great shops and the people that I meet is almost as much fun as sewing and completing projects! I am working hard to find sponsors- If you happen to know of anyone interested in promotion and advertising- Please, send them my way!I would hate to see this end and will do my best to keep it going as long (and often) as possible!This months Giveaway is from Christina's Quilt Shoppe in Rochester, Michigan.She doesn't have a web site, unfortunately, but if you are near us in Michigan you would Love her store! She has a great eye for gorgeous fabric and her products, patterns and work are just beautiful!

I was so far beyond thrilled when she offered *Chic Neutrals by Amy Ellis* Moda Jelly roll!(Shut the front door!!)
She seemed unsure if that would be a good giveaway..
I was very quick to reassure her that it would be a FANtastic giveaway!
My readers (and MySelf!!) LOVE Moda fabrics and it will be a big hit!Am I wrong!?

To win this awesome prize, please;1st Entry- Follow my blog on Bloglovin or by email and comment how you follow.2nd Entry- follow on social media like Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest & comment.Bonus Entry- Introduce yourself on my "InterActive ScrapChat" tab (under blog heading, too) and tell us a fun fact about you!1 Very Lucky winner will be chosen on Wednesday Nov. 9th!I will post with the title Winner Wednesday and also email the winner!Good luck and God Bless!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Hi friends!I am so beyond excited for this post!!I have been working on my Quilt top for about 2 months and I finally finished it! Seemed like it would take forever while at the same time feeling like I was flying through it.. I know, I was confused by that, too. lolIf you would like to see those posts they are Here,Here,The Frustrating Moment Here,& HereI was going to link all of my posts in this post but I guess there are Quite a few, haha! so I'll make it easy on myself (unless you want the list, I can add every single one here, let me know!) ;)If you look at my blog under September and October you will see all of the fun that I have been having, beginning with Playing With Batiks- Which I did link above as #1)!I decided to show how the fabric (jelly roll) looked before (but after I unrolled it ;) That is the 1st picture.

2nd picture- A big stack of my very first blocks-EVER!

3rd Pic- It's Finished!! I need to trim a tiny bit and then I can move onto the part of REALLY finishing it up! (I just don't know if my excitement comes is

coming across.... lol)

Picture 4- Up close some of the blocks I hadn't posted previously- I don't think.. I love that I have a good amount of pink in this! Living with 2 boys and hubby means that pink isn't quite as prominent in our home as I would like and this is a Great way to get it in there! HA! - I win!

Now that I have this beauty done (or close!!) I will set it aside for a little while so I can get into a few other projects that have been building up.. It's kind of sad, but I just have too much I need/want to do before I can get locked down again! lol - How close are we to Christmas....Yeah, exactly!! hahaI made it for our living room couch- I am Always cold!I was Thinking about having it quilted by a professional. I have never quilted anything bigger than about 1.5 feet-lol- and this monster is a LOT bigger than that! (Shoot, I forgot to measure it.. I'll do that and fill you in, but it is almost as wide as my 5'10" (height) and longer than my arm span! At least that gives you a clue-haha)I was worried about how the quilting would look and if I would be staring at errors that I made..With it being on our couch it will be a kind of show piece - and with me making it, it'll be more so, I think! So I really want it to look awesome! I'm going to do my best and hope I don't have to rip out a million stitches.. I'll do it- I just Really don't want to.. hahaMy son sounds so much like me sometimes.. This was his response when I was talking to him about it- Mom.. Practice makes perfect and if you don't do this one you will just have to do it on the next one.. Boy oh boy- This is my 8 year old!! Such a Wise child! lol.. Little stinker! I want to thank everyone that has commented on my quilt top and encouraged me- It's really helped me stay motivated!!

All About Me!

I am the mom of 2 boys (9 & 12) and married to a great guy! I work full time and spend every moment that I can behind my sewing machine.
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis but I try not to let that get me down!